Some Suggested Topic Areas for Virtual Edge Summit 2012

Below are some topic ideas to help get your ideas going. These are not required but are some of the types of sessions we are planning.

Virtual Environments: Conducting Your Needs Assessment
What are your goals and where do virtual elements fit into your marketing, meeting and community plans? Start with the big question—“why are we doing this event or activity?”  and develop your high-level objectives and goals.  Be sure to take into account all of the stakeholder’s needs before creating the overall objectives…
Case Study/How to: Big Picture–Needs Assessment

Strategy & Planning: Creating Your Strategy and Building Your Plan
Based on specific goals, a strategy and plan can be created that identifies the virtual elements that can and should be included. Each of the virtual elements should be necessary to achieve the overall goals of the event. Create high level goals as well as general time-lines for the key drivers of the event such as content, audience, marketing, sales, …
Case Study/How to: Big Picture–Strategic Planning

User Experience Mapping
Understanding the desired user/attendee experience, event flow and points of interaction is the beginning of the user experience design process. Defining what you want users to see, feel and do at the event/meeting or in the community will help guide your development process and make your technology solution options clear…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Big Picture–User Experience Mapping

Audience Development
Starting with the target user/attendee, how do you profile and identifying what do they want, what would make them contribute and participate? What would get them engaged and keeps them engaged?  Building audience or community is one of the most challenging tasks but perhaps the most critical. How do you succeed in the current environment? The key elements of audience acquisition include…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Big Picture/Hands On–Audience Development

Content Strategy and Program Development
Outstanding content in a unique program that meets the needs and objectives of the target audience is simply a must today. People will come for the content if they feel it meets or better yet, exceeds their needs. Anything less and you are in trouble. From program development to speaker recruitment and handling (yes, it will be different with virtual presenters and audiences than a physical event) ‘Content is King’ along with ‘community’ and ‘contribution’. Start your plan…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical–Content Strategy and Program Development

Exhibitor & Sponsor Strategy & Development
Whether its revenue generating sponsorship, partner/media sponsorship, or exhibit/advertising sales, for an event or an online community, you need to craft the right approach, develop effective supporting materials and make the right choices for technology, production and fulfillment. This is not exactly the same as selling and fulfilling on sponsorships, ads and exhibits for physical events. Here’s how to…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical–Exhibitor & Sponsor Strategy & Development

Networking & Interactive Strategies & Methods
Probably one of the most important aspects of a virtual event or meeting–and online community for that matter, is getting the attendees and participants to network and interact together and with exhibitors or sponsors.  There needs to be a plan with structured networking events and ample training as well as moderation and active participation by the activity producer. A moderated chat probably won’t cut it alone without…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical–Networking & Interactive Strategies & Methods

Technology Direction and RFP Development
After you have thought through everything else, you will be ready to choose a technology direction. In some cases there will be an option for a single solution but it is often a mix of technology and solutions that are combined together to power your event…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical–Technology Direction and RFP Development

Environmental Design, Construction & On-boarding Content
You are going to need to design and construct your event—ok at least customize it. There are people that are very qualified in the creation of graphics, videos, and digital assets that can help you. The same holds true for content creation and production but you need to know…
How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical– Environmental Design, Construction & On-boarding Content

Speaker, Attendee and Sponsor Training
This is another critical element to producing a successful event. Assume that no one that is going to participate in your event will know anything about the virtual environment you’ve chosen (even if they tell you otherwise). Speakers need to be coached, trained and rehearsed on everything they will be doing. Make it mandatory. Attendees need to be trained and prepped on what to expect and how to do the basic things they are coming to the event for—ideally before the event. Make sure there is some structured networking activity that they engage with when they first get to the event –or before.  If possible greet every person that comes to your event and give them some help in getting settled. Require exhibitors to get some training as well—before the event…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical– Speaker, Attendee and Sponsor Training

At Event Speaker, Attendee and Sponsor Service
You need a event-day game plan to make sure you have a plan and staff to answer questions, provide support, initiate networking, monitor activities and monitor the system itself. Have a game plan already in place before the event opens and make sure all of your staff or volunteers are well trained on the system and everything that is happening at the event. Be sure to plan for…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical– At Event Speaker, Attendee and Sponsor Service

Tracking, Measuring & Reporting
Most virtual event platforms already have robust tracking and reporting functionality built in. Make sure you understand how to use this information and also how to supplement this information if need be to provide data for future sales and marketing of the event. More importantly, how can you use it or supplemental information to improve the attendee experience and …
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical– Tracking, Measuring & Reporting

Post Event Strategy & Communications
One of the benefits of virtual meeting and event technology solutions is that you can create an ongoing persistent relationship with your attendees and partners. You should plan out follow-on activities and communication programs that keep your brand or messages in the minds of your attendees.  Often you can create a series of follow-on single webcast or even a mini-event that targets hot topics that people at your main event want more of…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical– Post Event Strategy & Communications

Community
With your virtual environment you can create a great environment to host your customers, prospects, partners and employees year-round.  First, the easy part is the technology to support the community; the hard part is building and seeding the environment with the elements that drive your community to come back, interact and contribute. Start by…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical—Community

Social Media and Virtual
Events and social media go together and so too does virtual and social media. Developing your event social media strategy should start with a look at where your audience is engaged already. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are probably good bets but don’t assume, find out. Then figure out what your engagement strategies will be and the resources needed to support those plans. Social media will impact event marketing, interactivity during the event and will help build a strong ongoing community.  The plan should include …
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical— Social Media and Virtual

Hybrid Events (aka Meshed, Mixed, Blended…)
Combining virtual elements into your physical events and meetings can increase the reach, effectiveness and ROI for everyone. The changing circumstances in the world have been sudden drivers of virtual events and although early focus was on events that were switched to virtual or canceled altogether, the new meeting paradigm looks like it will be a combination of physical and virtual elements. You’ll need to learn how to make this transition work by…
Case Study/How to/Best Practices: Hands On/Practical— Hybrid Events

So many more potential topics…

•    What Meeting and Event Planners Need to Know to Add Virtual to Their Skill Sets
•    Why should I add digital elements anyway
•    What is Streaming and Why is it Important
•    How Do I get the Hybrid Audiences to Interact
•    How Can I Produce Low Costs Virtual Events
•    Do I Need IT Involved
•    Building Virtual Booths That Work
•    Do I Need to Localize for Language & How Do I Plan for Time Zone Differences
•    What’ it Going to Cost Me…and Why
•    How Do We Attract C-Level Execs
•    Games and Fun Stuff Can We Incorporate
•    You Could Do a Whole Track on the 3D Immersive Stuff (we will)
•    How Are Venues Changing to Accommodate Virtual Requirements
•    What’s With These AV Guys? I Put Up a Tripod and They Want to Triple My Rate
•    Do I Really Need a Dedicated T1 Line
•    Can We Include Testing in Our Virtual Offerings

PLUS Business3Di the Special Track completely focused on 3D immersive environments for business.

Contact Us With Questions

Telephone: (925)600-1001
E-mail: info at VirtualEdge.org